Subliming apparatus



SUBLIMING APPARATUS 3 Filed June 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Conde'ns INVENTOR four/1v H. WEDE/f/ND 0 ATTORNEYS WITNESS scription and drawings as ferred form within the Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES EDWIN H. WEDEKIND,

OI SAID SUBLIMING or san rnancrsoo, oamronma; n1 0. HAAS Anmmsrn'a'ron nnwm H. wannxmn, nncmsan. v

AIPARATUS.

Application filed Jane 8, 1921. Serial No. 475,481.

My invention relates to an apparatus for subliming certain metals andthe collection of the products of sublimation. -Among the objects of the invention is the PIOViSlOIl 5 of a process of and a paratus for accomplishing the results recited which is characterized by a high degree of efliciency and economy and in which the collection of the products of sublimation is accomplished by to mechanical means working automatically.

M invention possesses other objects whic together with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description of the preferred process I 15 ment of means for practicing the same,

which is illustrated in the drawings accompanyi n and forming part of the s ecification. t is to be understood that do not limit myself to the showing made by the de- 1 may adopt variations of my pre scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a subliming apparatus in which my process may be carried on. A portion is broken away to better disclose the structure. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the subliming apparatus, portions being broken out to reduce the size of the figure and to show the-structure of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a verticalv sectional view, thru a portion of the a ppratus. section is indicated y the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view transversely across one of the units of'the a pa-' ratus. The plane of section is indicate by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. My process is applicable to the subliming and collecting of any metal which is volatile at higher temperatures and which upon eooling'returns again to the solid state as a metal or as a stable salt, such for instance, as arsenic, antimony, lead or zinc to which my recess is particularly ap licable.

itherto the subliming o these metals has involved treating their ores in furnaces or retorts. In some of these oxygen is admitted to form oxide of the metals; in others, chlorine and sulphur may be admitted to form the corresponding combination and in the case of retorts the metals are condensed Without forming salts or other combinations. Up to the present time sublimation ofthe metals referred to is effected aland the preferred embodi-' The plane of .most entirely in brick or concrete chambers.

conditions the work of cleaning the chambers is both difiicult and dangerous, and it is necessary to. provide the workers with safety devices for the protection of eyes and res iratory organs.

my process with especial reference to arsenic, antimony, zinc, and lead, all of which combine with oxygen obtained from atmospheric air to form oxide but for'the purpose of simplicity I shall treat particularly of the recovery of arsenic trioxide in sublimed form from arsenic bearing ores. In accordance with my invention I conduct the furnaco gases thru a .series of conduits or chambers regulating the tem rature of the forming .combinations of en limation by permitting a gas under pressure to expand therein. Prior to the entrance of the gases into the subliming chamber and under the high temperatures to which they are subjected the combination takes place and the products crystallize, but on a sudden reduction of tern erature' in the sublimin chambers crystallization ceases, the product being then. amorphous, and deposits on the Walls of the subliming chambers. Mechanical means are provided for loosening this deposited matechambers from which it is removed by a screw conveyor acting continuously.

The up aratus with which my process may 'be carrie out comprises preferably a series of chambers 2 formed in the housing 3 b means of transverse partition walls 4 whic extend outwardly in radiating flanges 5. The partition walls are provided with apertures 6, the apertures being arranged on opposite sides of thechamber alternately so that a bafiied effect is produced u on the flow of gases thru the chambers. e housings 3 are arranged parallel to each other and connected in series by conduits 7 which rise from the housing and join at-sharp angles, being as nearly vertical as possible so that the sublimed product does not tend to collect in the connecting pipes. One end n the present specification shall'explain rial and collecting it in -the bottom of the iflacross one'end of thebattery of housings wand receiving motion from a sprocket24 oi the first housing is connected by conduit 8 with a dust collector 9, of known form,

which in turn is connected to the furnace 11 which may be of anydesired type. The

first housing is the smallest of the group or battery, the others increasing (progressively in "siz'euntil finally the treate gases enter the largest housing and are discharged thru conduit 12 at the end thereot into the air or into other apparatus for further treatment.

'The shape of each housing is in general, cylindrical but, the lower portion thereof on each side extends tangentially toward a trough 13 which extends longitudinally the 15' .Whole length of the housing.

Journaled insuitable bearings in the *housing is a hollow'shaft 16 one end of which is connected by a suitable coupling with a' pipe 17 which extends across the end of the battery of housings and which supplies air under pressure to each of the sha t Fixed' on the shaft in each chamber 2 is a frame 18 extending on oppositesides of the shaft in a ibalanced'st'ructure nearly to the I frame nected into the hollow shafts 16 and receive wallof the chamber. On each side of the frame is bolted a scraper 19 so that'with the rotation of the shafttlie walls of the chamber are swept by the scraper. In the drawings-I have shown a scraper comprismg a'solid blade but if prefered a wire brush may be substituted for the blade. A

- series of small pi es-are also arranged on the frame, a pipe ying on each edge of the parallel to the wall of the chamber and quite close thereto. The pipes are conair therefrom, the air escaping in jets from apertures 20'formecl in the pipe.

he aper tures in the outer ipe are arran ed so that 40.

the jets of air stri e the walls 0 the cham-' her and assist thescraper blades in keeping a the walls clear; The troughs 13 are provided 1' at' intervals with discharge spouts 21 and ineach trough is disposed a spiral conveyor .22 driven by a chain 23' extending driven byany suitable prime mover. -A sec- :e 5 rid-sprocket .26 on each conveyor shaft is connected by chain 27 with a relatively 'f'-large; 'sprocket 28 fixed on the end of each of the hollow shafts 16. .The sprocket 24 is driven atlow speed and during the opera ?tion'. of the afpparatus the screw conveyors 55 movement. f 1 For purposeslof illustration it will be as sumecl that thea'pparatus is being used for subliming the arsenic salt,As,O,,.' The volaf f tilized p the con Hit 8' into the-first housing and. the

and the sha t} "ses enter from the furnacethru first chamber thereof passing'thru the aperi tured b'aflie partitiona into the second cham-.

be): and so 'on thru the series of chambers.

A'sthe arsenic laden gases pass thru the 16 are in. continuous slow, h

;withfl air under chamber, aframe chambers they are stirred by the revolving frame and thoroughly mixed with the jets of expanding air issuing from the rotating pipes. The cooling effect of the expanding air effects the condensation of the sublimed product of salt which is deposited on the walls of the chamber and almost immediate- .ried on automatically at a rate commensurate with the deposit of the product in the subliming chambers. 1 I claim:

1. A subliming apparatus, comprising a means for in ecting into said cham-.

chamber, ber jets of air under pressure, and means for scraping the wall of said chamber to free the sublimed product therefrom.

' 2. A subliming apparatus, comprising a chamber, means for injecting into said chamber ets of air under pressure, means for scraping the wall of said chamber to free. i i. I

the sublimed product therefrom, and means for removing from the bottom of the cham-,

her the accumulated product.

3. A subliming apparatus, 7 chamber, means for injecting into said charmber jets of air under pressure, means for scraping the wall of said chamber to free the comprising a sublimed product therefrom, and a screw a conveyor disposed in the bottom of saidchamber.

4. .A subliming apparatus comprising a y of'generally' cylindrical form and provided with a trough on the lower side housing thereof, means for injecting into said housmg ets of air under pressure, means rotatably mounted in said housing for scraping" the sublimed product from the wall thereof into the trough, and a conveyor in said trough for removing the product therefrom,

-5. A subliming apparatus comprising a a housing of generallycvlindrical form and} said trough.

A. su liming- 'apparatus' comprising a rotatably mounted in said chamber, means on said frame for sweeps: ing the wall of the chamber, perforated-f pipes on saidrfrarne. means for supplying said pipes with air under pressure, and a providedwith a trough on the lower side. thereof, a frame rotatablymounted in said ousing. means on said frame for sweeping the. wall of the housing. perforated pipes on.

said frame. means for supplying said pipes pressure and a conveyor in nuance -v .3.

conveyor for removing from the chamber -'8.A subliming ap 'atus comprising a the sublimed product. lurality of oonnec chambers, said cham- 16 7. A subliming apparatus comprising :1 rs merging at the bottom into a trough plurality of chambers connected in series, in which the sublimed material from each 6 means for introducing volatile products chamber tends to collect, a conveyor insaid from the furnace at one end of the series of trough for removing the. material therefrom,

chambers, means for baffling .the flow of andspaced discharge spouts in said trough 1 ases thru said series of chambers, means to; permit the products. of the several chain-M or injecting into each chamber jets of air here to be separately "discharged.

under ressure, rotary means for sweeping In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set v the we ls of each chamber, and a conveyor rnyhand.v p ineach chamber for removingthe sublimed a ,7 a v product therefiom. I EDWIN H. 

